SXSW: IFC Midnight Acquires ‘Haunter’

Abigail Breslin stars in ghost story

IFC Midnight has acquired all US rights to Vincenzo Natali’s “Haunter,” which world preemed Saturday in the South by Southwest film festival’s Midnighter program.

The deal was negotiated by Jeff Deutchman, director of acquisitions & productions, for IFC Midnight/Sundance Selects/IFC Films and CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.

The Toronto-lensed film was penned by Brian King and stars Abigail Breslin, Stephen McHattie, Peter Outerbridge, Michelle Nolden and David Hewlett.

Steven Hoban and Mark Smith served as producers, and exec producers are John Raymonds and Wild Bunch’s Vincent Miraval.
Entertainment One has the film for Canada.

“Haunter” follows the story of teenaged Lisa (Breslin) who “awakens” to realize she and her family are ghosts trapped in their house and doomed to repeat the fateful last day before they were murdered. When the Lisa makes contact with a girl who lives in the house in the present day, she sets out to uncover the horrible truth behind their limbo existence.

Toronto-raised Natali, long based in L.A., made his filmmaking bow in 1997 with his surreal, low-budget sci-fi thriller “Cube.” His most recent film was “Splice,” starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley.